Guide to Photographing the Pemaquid and Friendship Areas

Welcome to the continuation of my Guide to Photographing the Maine Coast. We kicked off this series last year. If you haven’t read the introductory post, I’d recommend checking it out so that you can orient yourself with the structure of the guide. Each location is listed in geographic order from southwest to northeast along the coast.

We’re moving through the midcoast right now. Before, we looked at Boothbay. Now we’re exploring the next two peninsulas down, Bristol and Friendship. This area is also transforms quite a bit in the summers, but has many attractions to photograph year-round. I now live close to these areas, so have a lot more insights to share.

South Bristol is one of those places that seems to retain a strong character thanks to its relative isolation and a traditional fishing and boatbuilding economy. Of course, like many places along the Maine Coast, there’s also a long-standing tradition of this being a summer vacation community, as well.

I like documenting the mix of the two. The main hive of activity here centers around the South Bristol Bridge, a drawbridge that spans “The Gut” that connects the Damariscotta River to Johns Bay. Here you have several spots to poke around for images. The first place I usually start is the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, located off of Thompson Inn Road on the north side of the gut.

I find the fishing culture fascinating, and know I’m not alone in thinking that this stuff is pretty photogenic. From wider views of the operation, down to details such as the numerous piles of rope you’ll likely encounter here, there’s a lot to capture.

This stuff looks great when it’s cloudy or you catch these more intimate scenes in shade. If you get lucky and have a nice sunset when you are visiting, you can more easily go down to the docks and capture the boats and reflective waters with an interesting sky.

This spot is oriented in such a way that sunrise would work here, too, looking in the other direction.

On the other side of the bridge is the Gamage Shipyard, a major operation that features a marina packed with boats jutting out into the harbor. I took advantage of some fog here to obscure an otherwise distracting background and focus on the boats at the docks. I liked that it was all working vessels.

The village itself is an interesting mix of businesses and apartments. I photographed this during the blue hour in the late winter, one of my favorite times for capturing villages due to the contrast between the warm, orange man-made light and cool blue light of twilight.

Further down the peninsula is Christmas Cove, a completely different vibe from the working fishing village. This spot is a classic yacht harbor. I haven’t spent too much time here except for the photo below, taking advantage of a nice spring sunset. Be sure to check out Coveside Restaurant if it’s open when you are down here. It’s one of the few public places to photograph the cove from!

Best Times of Day: Sunset

Best Times of Year: Summer

Tides: All

Access: Mixed. While it’s easy to wander around the public boat launch next to the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, you’ll want to be mindful of the folks working there if you venture onto the Co-op docks themselves. A friendly smile and “Is it alright if I make a photo here?” usually works. There is ample parking on the north side of the Gut to explore that area. Christmas Cove is best seen from Coveside Restaurant and along the road.

Pemaquid is one of the “Big Ones” for Maine photography. It’s easy to see why. The setting is spectacular. Interesting geology, exposure to the the extremes of wind, waves, and light, and fascinating maritime history combine to make a perfect setting for creative exploration.